Apart from our worries about our defence are now replaced by worries about our attack now?

No more Bellamy (snaky toerag cnut) , Shearer still good but not scoring enough (esp with no speed monkey to play with), Ameobi good but not scoring enough yet, a lazy Dutchman and...

At least we scored three on Saturday without the stumpy sprinter.

Re the linked article I read John Nicholson's column a lot - he's quite literate for a smoggy spizz. We were talking before the match about our current problems and Fat Fred was getting at least some of the blame. There are 'sack the board' mutterings being erm.. muttered but I can't see it happening - it only happened last time when John Hall came in and shook things up - I can't see us being given another opportunity for change or rescue.

Anyone else reckon that Bellamy chose Celtic thinking he could knock a few goals in against the jocks and then return in the summer by which time Souness will have been booted out and we can all pretend it was Souness's fault all along.

Actually I am more disappointed about Bernard going. I think he is a hugely underatted player. There was a point last year where he was second only to Cole as the best left back in the country. Okay his form has dived a bit this year but if he is prepared to go to Southampton then he really must have been treated badly.

I reckon he'll go on to be a good player. Then again I may have said the same about Domi.

Re: Bellers. Yes. That was my first thought when I heard it was a loan deal.

As for who will/won't forgive him... I don't think it matters. This is NUFC. The fans don't matter so long as they're handing over their hard-earned. In fact, if you recall the Spanish incident, they're held it active contempt by the Powers That Be.

I think if this does turn out to be the case and Bellamy comes back and starts scoring again, plenty will forgive him quickly enough.

Too right - I'm still hating Lee Bowyer with all my being even though he has probably been our best midfield player recently.

Forgot to comment on the Olly situation - by the time we pay a fee for a replacement (I know we have Babayaro but we still need cover at LB) and wages we could have paid Olly's demands (which I heard was only about 25K pw NB that only is a comparative only!) no problem. He could then have replaced Robert in midfield (he works harder and gets more crosses in) and still be around as cover for Baba.

No - but Woody never stood and screamed cnut at me (and several thousand others) either. It was the 4-3 Leeds game just before Christmas a few years ago - Bowyer scored what I think was the equaliser to take it to 3-3 and stood in front of the Geordies and screamed obscenities at us. I'm sure ILN will remember the occasion too.

Anyway I've always held the view re the Leeds student bashing stuff that Woody was just a nugget having a fight and Bowyer was a racialist having had previous for it. Boywer has actually come out with an anti racism statement since he joined the toon - but I still hate him.

Sticks and stones, old chap. As I said, I doubt I'll ever like him as a person. But then, I might not like Thierry Henry as a person (couldn't say, never met him -- but he *IS* French!) but I'd certainly have him at the Toon! (I wish...)

As for sticks and stones I don't go along with that - if anyone calls me a cnut (and means it rather than friendly Geordie swearing!) my response will not be to ignore it. Why should Lee Bowyer get away with it just because he is a footballer?

As I said, I don't particularly like him. He's demonstrated himself to be an obnoxious foul-mouthed lout in the past. (like many "celebs", to varying degrees -- you've heard my "cult of celebrity" rant, right?)

(tho I can think of people like that that I've called friends in the past, too -- tho' they weren't being foul-mouthed at me (usually, anyway) they certainly were plenty of times towards other people). Ah, the good ol' days!